1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a window covering and, more particularly, to a combination window covering which comprises a blind and a pair of non-opaque flexible sheets at front and back sides of the blind.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIGS. 6 and 7 are perspective (in an extended condition) and side views of a combination window covering according to the prior art. This structure of combination window covering 90 comprises a barrel 91 fastened transversely pivotally with the top side of the window and rotatable by hand or a motor drive, a bottom rail 92 suspending below the barrel 91, a plurality of flexible slats 93 arranged in parallel between the barrel 91 and the bottom rail 92, two pairs of ladder tapes 94 bilaterally joining the flexible slats 93, the ladder tapes 94 including two front ladder tapes 95 connected between the barrel 91 and the bottom rail 92 and joining the flexible slats 93 at the front side and two back ladder tapes 96 connected between the barrel 91 and the bottom rail 92 and joining the flexible slats 93 at the back side, and a pair of non-opaque flexible sheets (for example, meshed fabrics) 97A and 97B respectively provided at the front and back sides of the flexible slats 93 and connected between the barrel 91 and the bottom rail 92. The non-opaque flexible sheets 97A and 97B are rectangular sheet members fitting the size of the window (the non-opaque flexible sheets 97A and 97B are not bonded to the flexible slats 93; however, there are known combination blinds, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,419,385, in which the flexible sheets are respectively bonded to the flexible slats).
By means of the aforesaid arrangement, the flexible sheets 97A and 97B vaguely cover the slats 93 at the front and back sides, showing a particular light shading effect quite different from conventional blinds. This design of combination window covering builds up an elegant and graceful style. The user can regulate the light passing through the combination window covering 90 by rotating the barrel 91 through an angle to move the front ladder tape 95 and the back ladder tapes 96 longitudinally in reversed directions. When continuously rotating the barrel 91, the barrel 91 will roll up the flexible slats 93 and the flexible sheets 97A and 97b (see FIG. 8) to the top side of the window or to a particular elevation covering the upper part of the window.
The aforesaid combination window covering 90 is still not satisfactory in function. When the user rolling up the combination window covering 90 from its fully extended position (in the direction as shown in FIG. 8), the upper part of the back flexible sheet 97B will be rolled up by the barrel 91 prior to the front flexible sheet 97A. and, the back flexible sheet 97B will be covered on the front flexible sheet 97A over the periphery of the barrel 91, i.e., the diameter of the back flexible sheet 97B is greater than the front flexible sheet 87A when rolled up. Because the flexible sheets 97A and 97B have the same length and are rolled up at a different start point, the back flexible sheet 97B is smoothly stretched between the barrel 91 and the bottom rail 92 when the combination window covering 90 rolled up. At this time, the front flexible sheet 97A has a curved lower part 98 suspending below the bottom rail 92 at the front side, destroying the sense of beauty of the received status of the combination window covering 90.
It is therefore desirable to provide a combination window covering that eliminates the aforesaid drawback.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a combination window covering, which keeps the front and back flexible sheets in a well-balanced status, causing a sense of beauty.
To achieve this object of the present invention, the combination window covering comprises an elongated barrel fastened rotatably with a top side of a window for free rotation on an axis thereof; a bottom rail arranged in parallel to and spaced below the barrel; a plurality of slats arranged in parallel between the barrel and the bottom rail; front and back ladder tapes connected in parallel between the barrel and the bottom rail at front and back sides of the slats and joining the slats, and a light-admitting flexible sheet. The flexible sheet has first and second ends respectively fixedly fastened to the barrel at two sides, a front half extended from the first end and suspended at the front side of the slats, a back half extended from the second end and suspended at the back side of the slats, and a middle part connected between the front half and the back half and moveably passing over the bottom rail.